In Remembrance
by matt626
Summary: In 1937 the team says goodbye to a member of their group, there they discover something that surprises them. I own nothing except the specific story
1. Chapter 1

**In 1937 the team says goodbye to a member of their group, there they discover something that surprises them.**

**I own nothing except the specific story**

**Bear with me this is my first fic.**

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In Remembrance

The year was 1937 in the small town of Whippany a resident had returned home for the last time. She passed away four days ago in her sleep, a vast contrast to exciting life that she had led. Wilhelmina Packard was not well known to the town because she started traveling at the young age of 16 and never looked back. She was known however to varied collection of people that were currently socializing in her modest house she had bought just two years ago. She had been traveling abroad taking pictures of different places around the world, many of which covered the walls of the house.

There were many different people there, traveling performers, business men and women, a few former soldiers, and other varied friends of the departed. Among them was a curious group that seemed well natured enough though they kept to themselves.

There was linguist with his wife, a flower shop owner, a doctor, a repair shop owner, a retired cook, and a geologist. They currently were talking amongst themselves accompanied by a rather serious looking lawyer from Whitmore Industries the last employer of Mrs. Packard.

Unknown to the attendees this group perhaps knew more about her than anyone there (bar perhaps one of her many deceased husbands). They didn't share what they knew of their friend. Instead they just spoke amongst themselves about their memories of the deadpanning snarker of a radio operator and photographer. They were the group known only to each other as the ones that had found the lost city of Atlantis. After their great adventure they went their own ways but kept in touch and visited the underwater city often.

Milo and Kida had married, had two sons and a daughter and had been working on rebuilding Atlantis from the inside of the underground realm that it resided in. Dr. Sweet had retired from being a doctor and now only went on a few house calls to a small number of patients that he had developed in his years of practicing medicine. Similar with Audrey She had built up and developed a small empire of repair shops with her family, in her spare time they would watch her sister compete for various boxing titles over the years. Vinny got his flower shop that he dreamed of and lives quietly in Brooklyn. Cookie had briefly been the owner of a steakhouse until he found a hobby in breeding bloodhounds that he swore where the best in the world due his "secret diet" he fed them, and to everyone's surprise it seems that it works. Then with Mole he had been traveling the world collecting dirt samples from around the world.

"I can't believe she's gone." Audrey the now fully-grown repair shop owner said, "Didn't the crystal she was given help keep her alive longer than average?" Looking to the now middle-aged Dr. Sweet, fellow companion to the unforgettable trip to Atlantis.

"There are so many things that we don't know how the crystals affect non-native users of the crystals" He looked to his old friends Milo and Kida to get assurance in his assessment, "Unless I missed something."

Milo and Kida had spoken in length on the very topic during their ride to the surface. "We can only guess as to why our friend is gone." Kida began to explain, "There are old tales of Atlanteans that did die early on in life though those times where rare and we did not record these events often."

They settled into a silence because they had already caught up on each other's lives before the funeral of Packard. Taking advantage of this moment the lawyer a certain John Franco, now spoke up "Whitmore Industries will ensure the balancing of accounts and properties of Mrs. Packard, there are however a few personal items that the executor of the will has set aside for each of you.

"What would there be?" Vinny asked. Looking a little confused, "I mean we knew her, but wouldn't her possessions go to her family?"

Franco replied, "Under normal circumstances yes, that would be the case most items have gone or are going to the extended family or are being liquidated to balance any accounts with the banks." Franco leaned in lowering his voice, "These items have connections to your journey twenty-three years ago. Mrs. Packard and Mr. Whitmore came to the agreement to give them to the original members of the expedition or have them destroyed."

"Where is it all?" Audrey asked, her interest spiked after the long day at a funeral that they all had been having.

"On the second floor above us, the rooms have been cleared of any items the family would have had claim to." Franco said.

Seeing that the wake goers where mostly leaving Dr. Sweet spoke up "Would we be able to see what is there?"

"Of course, is that what you wish?" the lawyer asked. He looked around and saw nodding heads all around. "Please follow me." He then turned and led them through the hallway up the main staircase.

The upstairs was very spacious due to it being cleared out and in the first room that they saw where souvenirs from Atlantis and the surrounding area. There were three other rooms and a common area, every room there was cleared and where empty save it for the first room.

The souvenirs sat on a long table and the contents consisted of clothing from the region, little statues, and knick knacks that were immediately recognizable to Kida and the others. There were however three filing boxes at the end of the table that stuck out from all the Atlantean items, the first two where labeled 'Atlantis', the third was left blank.

The groups silently descended on the table inspecting the items before them. Milo found a book that was there, Kida stood behind him, she had gained an affinity to books aver since the two had met. Sweet, Mole, and Cookie looked at the knick knacks while Vinny and Audrey investigated the boxes. Vinny started with the closest labeled box while Audrey grabbed the unlabeled one. Vinny found pictures of the first expedition to Atlantis all they way up to the groups latest one six months ago.

"Hey look, it's that huge lobster Mole and I caught last year on that fishing trip near the falls of Atlantis City." Vinny said showing everyone. "What did you guys find?"

Milo responded excitedly "I think this is a book of folktales, one that the royal librarians have been looking for!"

"Clothes and trinkets here" Sweet responded, "Audrey what did you find?"

"Let me check" she got distracted with Vinny's box she hadn't had a chance to look.

She looked down and paused, there was a pile of pictures and on the top of the pile was a hand-written note that read: _In Remembrance_. Curiosity spiked she lifted the paper and peered at the pictures.

What she saw made her freeze. "Uh guys you might want to take a look at this."

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**Let me know how I did, conclusion to follow.**


	2. Chapter 2

**I own nothing but the story, and John Franco.**

**Here is the conclusion, I hope you like it.**

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"What is it?" Sweet asked, coming over to her side. Upon seeing the contents, he paused as well before having to compose himself. "It appears to the picture of the whole expedition force to Atlantis."

"When was a picture like that taken? Milo asked, "And what do you mean by appears?"

Sweet replied, moving to making room for the others, "Well before Mr. Whitmore recruited you, the equipment and crew had to be gathered. Upon completing that the sub crew and land teams got their picture taken, for the event."

Upon closer review one could see the Ulysses and the entire expedition force arrayed in eight rows posed on a set of bleachers constructed in front of the submarine. However, one of the first things noticed was almost everyone's faces had black ink obscuring their features. The only exceptions were present company save for Milo, Kida and Franco and Packard herself- assuming she took the picture.

Confusion gave wat to realization as those with ink over their faces were those that had not made it back to the surface and those with clear faces had. Serious looks were exchanged between each other.

Vinny turned to Franco and asked, "What is this?" suspicion growing in his eyes.

"All I know is that the items there relate to your initial trip," he replied raising a placating hand, "the details of the will- including this- where taken care years ago prior to Mrs. Packard's death.

While they spoke, Audrey had yet to open the note which she did while the two where talking. The note read:

_While the truth of the unforgettable adventure we just had can never be shared, and I can live with out telling of the city and people there, I don't know how I will be able to remain quiet on why only our small group came back instead of two hundred and nine._

_I know for the sake of Atlantis staying safe I will stay quiet but it pains me to know that so many mothers, fathers, siblings, and friends will not know why or how those they care for did not come back. A piece of me is left with the Ulysses, another along the long road to the city, and then a last part consumed in the volcano._

_I cannot and will not speak for the whole crew of the expedition. I will however saw this; when we were faced with the decision to take the crystal away, many of them would have changed just as we did and supported the people there._

_I ask of you my friends; don't forget there are always good and bad people around us coming and going, and lastly but not least, don't forget me._

_W. Packard_

Audrey passed the note around without saying a word being too caught up in her own thoughts and emotions. Somber silence hung over them as each person read the note. A part of the journey that everyone had to different degrees come to terms with or tried to ignore now came up fresh in their minds.

"Lets, ahh- lets keep looking" Cookie spoke up fighting the emotion in his voice. He reached for the next picture it was of the scene right after the memorial held after the leviathan attack, it showed the transport sub with a heavy list, the two sad looking sub pods, and the helmet with its lit, candle just visible in the distance on the water. Following that where of the injuries and casualties on the road including the attack from the fireflies. Then at the end of those was a single picture of the volcano post-eruption.

"I didn't know that she took these ones" Vinny stated.

"Well she did like her pictures, not too much of a surprise." Mole replied looking up from the ones he held.

After those pictures of Atlantis where the copies of the profile pictures of the expedition members that would've gone with their affiliated personnel file. They were ordered alphabetically and included everyone from the trip all two hundred and nine.

Then at the back of the all the pictures was a small wooden shadow box. Audrey pulled it out and inside of it was Packard's crystal. At the bottom it had a brass plate inscribed the date of November third, 1914.

"This is her necklace." Kida said surprised, looking closely at the little gem hanging on its string. "Why is it in this box and not with her?

"If this date is truly when she placed it in the box, this is just months after the trip." Sweet said, "This might be why her life wasn't extended, she stopped wearing it right after the trip."

"Now that I think about it, I never saw her crystal since we reported to Mr. Whitmore." Vinny stated

"Given what she has written and what the pictures showed, I would not be surprised if she wanted a normal life span." Cookie said seriously.

"Why would she do that though?" Kida asked again, voice slightly raised and a hint of emotion entering in. "Didn't she want to stay with us?"

"I don't think she didn't want to be with us, I am afraid she didn't want to stay with the memories of those lost." Sweet responded, "After San Juan Hill and other battles I have seen many grow tired of death. It is a tiredness you can't sleep off."

"So, she just let nature take its course." Milo commented.

"Exactly" the doctor replied.

"What is it we are to do with these?" Vinny asked gesturing to the objects on the table.

It was then when Franco spoke up "The various souvenirs here are divided here in this will. However, I assume you are most concerned with the contents of the filing boxes. Mrs. Packard and Mr. Whitmore came up with two alternatives; one- with the Queens permission of course-it was proposed anything pertaining to the trip be moved to Atlantis itself and be shown at your leisure." Franco said looking at Kida and Milo.

"And the other?" Kida asked.

"Since Atlantis cannot be made public knowledge there is a warehouse that has been set aside made into an exhibit of sorts open only to you and any well trusted individuals you may wish to tell of your adventures."

"I don't know" Kida said looking away "It seems like a lot to move all of this away and then if you were to view it you would have to make the long journey. I of course would be happy for you to visit, it just feels like I would be keeping something away from you all."

"Not quite," Vinny countered, "What would we do with this here on the surface? It would need to be squirreled away and hidden, whereas in the city they could be shown to all."

"That's true, not much use to five of us compared to the thousands now in Atlantis, plus all of us as you mentioned can visit" Cookie added. His thoughts accompanied by nods from the others.

Kida looked at Milo and he said "I agree with them on this, if you don't want to that is fine too. There is just a great learning opportunity for them, that the world is full of good and bad people."

Kida looked up to her friends gathered, nodded then turned to Franco saying, "I would be honored to house and preserve some of the memories of our good friend."

Franco responded, "Very well I can make the preparations for the items to go down with you all next trip you make, is that agreeable?" Seeing their nods, he said "I'll leave you all then." Then departed through the door behind him.

"She may be gone but a part of her will always live in our hearts and her pictures she shared with the world and us will never be forgotten." Milo stated to them all.

"I think she'll be happy with that" Sweet responded.

The group took the handful of items Packard willed to them, neatly repacked the boxes, and closed the door behind them.

The group may have lost a dear friend, but over the years to come, what she had done had an impact on them that they would never forget, and which they will be glad for the time that they had with the woman Wilhelmina Packard.

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**Thank you for your comments, it was nice to see them so quick after I posted.**

**I will see you all in the future.**


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